People taking part in Holi celebrations in Dharwad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The soaring temperature did not deter Holi celebrations on Saturday as Dharwad got soaked in myriad colours with people of all age groups coming out in large numbers to take part.
The celebrations began with the torching of idols and effigies of ‘Kamanna’ (Lord Manmatha) during the wee hours of Saturday and the ritual was performed in almost all localities and suburbs of Dharwad. According to an estimate, the idols of ‘Kamanna’ were installed at around 150 places in the city ahead of the festival and they were taken out in a procession before being torched.
After ‘burning down’ Kamanna, the festivities began in the city. After celebrations in their respective streets and localities, the revellers moved around the city and participating in festivities at various places. As usual there were few instances of petty verbal duels among the youth and apart from them the celebrations concluded peacefully in the city.
The police had made elaborate bandobast arrangements and had imposed restrictions on vehicular movement on certain road stretches as a precautionary measure.
Various organisations supported by political leaders and businessmen had organised rain dance and mass celebration events at Gandhi Chowk, Kempgeri, Gandhi Nagar, Saptapur, LIC Circle and Shivaji Circle in the city.
People taking part in Holi celebrations in Dharwad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
At LIC Circle where the MLA Arvind Bellad Fans’ Association had organised holi celebrations along with rain dance, revellers danced to their hearts’ content.
Curd pot-breaking (Dahi Handi) organised by some associations attracted good participations with groups of youths building human pyramids amid spraying colours to reach to the curd pot and break it.
At Subhas Road in Dharwad, folk song and ‘halige’ (traditional percussion instrument) beating competition was organised and prizes were given to the best performers.
Meanwhile, as shops and food joints remained closed on account of Holi celebrations, bakeries and provisions stores that opened in the afternoon did good business.
Roadside fruit vendors too did some good business as revellers purchased fruits to delay their return to their houses. Despite ban on sale and consumption of liquor, there were some ‘spirited’ youths among the revellers.
Consequent to the celebrations with fervour which continued till evening, many of the roads in the cultural city got soaked in myriad colours.
Published – March 15, 2025 11:43 pm IST